Bing Cherries

Current Facts

All cherries are members of the family, Prunus and are descendents of the wild cherry, Prunus avium. They are classified as stone fruits (fruits containing a singular central seed), alongside apricots, plums, peaches and almonds. The Bing cherry is considered the benchmark standard of all cherries and it is the most cultivated variety of sweet cherries in the world. It is a grafted offspring of the now obscure heirloom Black Republican cherry, which mainly serves as a pollinator for other cherry varieties.

Description/Taste

The Bing cherry's surface is smooth and rounded, with a lustered deep red finish. The fruit's flavor is rich and concentrated with overt sweetness balanced by a touch of tang. It's flesh is firmly textured and juicy when ripe.

Geography/History

Cherries are native to China. First documentation of cultivation dates back to 4000 B.C. The Bing cherry was first cultivated in 1875 by Seth Lewelling in Willamette Valley, Oregon. Lewelling named the cherry after Ah Bing, a Manchurian Chinese immigrant who oversaw the production of the Lewelling family orchard for three decades and may have had a hand in the original grafting of the Bing cherry trees. Bing cherry trees still thrive in the Willamette Valley and along the Pacific Coast from Washington to California. Under extreme weather conditions such as excess spring rainfall, the fruit will crack or split prior to harvest, damaging crops. Nature's weather elements alone don't prevent some cherries from making it to market. Birds can account for eating up to 30% of a tree's crop.

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77th St Greenmarket

Kernan Farms

Near West New York, New Jersey, United StatesAbout 28 days ago, 7/05/15
Spotter's comments : Bing Cherries spotted at 77th St Greenmarket.

Near Seattle, Washington, United StatesAbout 78 days ago, 5/16/15
Spotter's comments : Bing Cherries spotted at Whole Foods Market. Nothing local just yet. These sweet red cherries were grown in California and are a great start to the season :)